The Journal of Biological and Medical Innovations (JBMI) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity. Plagiarism is a serious ethical violation that undermines the credibility of the scientific community and the research published in the journal. This Plagiarism Policy outlines the journal's approach to preventing, identifying, and addressing plagiarism in submitted manuscripts.

1. Definition of Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is defined as the act of using someone else’s work, ideas, data, or intellectual property without proper attribution or permission, with the intent to present it as one’s own. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying text verbatim from another source without proper citation.
• Paraphrasing someone else’s ideas or text without proper acknowledgment.
• Using figures, tables, or data from another source without permission or proper citation.
• Reusing one’s own previously published work (self-plagiarism) without proper citation.
• Mosaic plagiarism, where phrases or ideas are borrowed from sources and stitched together to form a new document.

2. Prevention of Plagiarism:

To minimize the risk of plagiarism, JBMI encourages authors to:

• Cite Sources Properly: All sources of information, including text, data, figures, and ideas, must be cited correctly in accordance with the citation style specified by the journal.
• Use Quotation Marks: If direct quotes from another source are used, they must be enclosed in quotation marks and cited properly.
• Submit Original Work: Authors must ensure that their manuscript contains original research and that any work or data taken from others is appropriately referenced.
• Check for Plagiarism Before Submission: Authors are encouraged to check their manuscripts for plagiarism using plagiarism detection tools before submitting them to the journal.

3. Plagiarism Detection:

• Plagiarism Screening: All manuscripts submitted to JBMI undergo a plagiarism check using advanced plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate). These tools compare the submitted manuscript with a large database of academic publications, internet sources, and previous journal articles to identify similarities or matches.

• Threshold for Similarity: Manuscripts that show a similarity index above a specified threshold (e.g., 20-30%) may be flagged for further investigation. The editorial team will review any instances of potential plagiarism and determine the appropriate course of action.

4. Handling Plagiarism Allegations:

• Initial Investigation: If plagiarism is suspected, the editorial team will conduct a thorough investigation. The corresponding author will be contacted for an explanation, and the manuscript will be reviewed in light of the specific allegations.

• Actions Based on Findings:

  • Minor Plagiarism: If only minor instances of plagiarism are found (such as improper citation of a few sentences or phrases), the authors will be asked to revise the manuscript, add proper citations, and resubmit it. A warning may also be issued.
  • Major Plagiarism: If significant portions of the manuscript are found to be plagiarized, or if there is evidence of intentional misconduct, the manuscript will be rejected outright, and the authors may be banned from submitting to the journal in the future.

• Retraction: If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the article will be retracted, and a retraction notice will be published with a detailed explanation. The retracted article will remain accessible in the journal’s archives, but it will be clearly marked as retracted.

5. Self-Plagiarism:

• Definition of Self-Plagiarism: Self-plagiarism occurs when an author reuses significant portions of their own previously published work (text, figures, tables, or data) without proper citation, presenting it as new or original research.

• Handling Self-Plagiarism: Authors are encouraged to disclose any previous publications that overlap with the submitted manuscript. If substantial parts of the manuscript have been previously published, these sections must be cited, and the prior publication must be disclosed during the submission process. Failure to do so will be considered self-plagiarism.

6. Ethical Guidelines for Authors:

• Transparency in Acknowledging Sources: Authors must clearly acknowledge all sources of inspiration, data, and intellectual contributions in their manuscripts. This includes citing previous research articles, books, datasets, and any unpublished work that influenced the current research.

• Responsibility for Content: The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors comply with the plagiarism policy and that the manuscript is original, properly cited, and ethically sound.

7. Editorial Responsibility:

• Ensuring Manuscript Integrity: The editorial team is responsible for ensuring that manuscripts submitted to JBMI adhere to ethical standards, including those related to plagiarism. If plagiarism is suspected, the editorial team will investigate the matter promptly and fairly.

• Training for Editors and Reviewers: Editors and reviewers are trained to identify and address plagiarism in the manuscripts they evaluate. They are expected to notify the editorial office of any potential plagiarism issues they encounter during the review process.

8. Consequences of Plagiarism:

• Rejection of Manuscripts: If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the submission or review process, the manuscript will be rejected, and the authors will be informed of the reasons for rejection. The authors may also be prohibited from submitting future manuscripts to JBMI.

• Retraction of Published Articles: In cases where plagiarism is identified after publication, the article will be retracted. A retraction notice will be published, explaining the reason for the retraction. This ensures transparency and maintains the integrity of the journal.

• Banning Authors from Future Submissions: Authors found guilty of intentional plagiarism may be banned from submitting to JBMI for a specified period or indefinitely, depending on the severity of the violation.